2015 Volkswagen Passat B8 – full details & photos

Well, it’s finally here – the eighth-generation Volkswagen Passat, sporting new, more upmarket looks and features that aim to take the new D-segment competitor a step or two above its rivals.

Codenamed B8, the new Passat is the latest and the largest so far to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s modular MQB architecture. Measuring 4,767 mm long, 1,832 mm wide and 1,456 mm tall, the new car is 2 mm shorter, 12 mm wider and sits a full 14 mm lower compared to the outgoing B7.

More importantly, the wheelbase has been stretched some 79 mm to 2,791 mm, so despite the nominally shrunken dimensions, occupants actually get more leg- and headroom. In addition, the sedan’s boot has grown by 21 litres to 586 litres, while the estate’s cargo capacity has increased by 47 litres to 650 litres. Weight has been cut by up to 85 kg thanks to lightweight construction and lighter four-cylinder engines.

The front has been given an illusion of wideness thanks to more horizontally-structured elements such as the chrome accents on the grille and lower air intake, as well as trapezoidal headlights which give the car a more imposing presence on the road. These headlights can now be specified with LED technology as opposed to the standard halogen units.

Three LED headlight options are available, ranging from basic reflector units all the way to full-blown projectors with Dynamic Light Assist that uses a camera to control the high beams, as well as U-shaped daytime running lights with 32 LEDs.

Most of the height decrease seems to come from the lower, sleeker roofline, which makes us wonder if there is any room left in the company’s lineup for a CC (although the CC is still a good 34 mm lower). The rear is an evolution of the current car but there are standard Golf R-style LED tail lights and integrated dual trapezoidal exhaust outlets on larger engine variants that give the car a more upscale appearance.

The interior features the same horizontal layout as the exterior, with a full-width ventilation strip that stretches across the dashboard which is claimed to improve climate control performance and ventilation acoustics. The rest of the cabin is pretty much standard modern Volkswagen, with a Mk7 Golf-like angled centre console and flat-bottomed steering wheel.

In front of the driver, the Passat can be specified with an optional Audi TT-esque configurable digital instrument cluster, a first for Volkswagen. Dubbed Active Info Display, the 12.3-inch display can show navigation information, driver assist functions, phone contacts and music information. The Passat will also be the first Volkswagen to be available with a head-up display.

The latest generation of VW’s modular MIB infotainment systems graces the centre console. The new range of touchscreen systems have larger displays and higher resolutions, faster processors and optional MirrorLink smartphone integration. There is also a new rear-seat entertainment system which can be controlled by a tablet through optional wireless local area networking (WLAN).

A total of nine direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be available, with fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions that have been reduced by as much as 20%. Five TSI petrol engines feature outputs ranging from 132 PS all the way up to 280 PS (the latter is similar to the Golf R), while three TDI diesel engines produce between 150 PS and 240 PS.

A highlight is the top diesel engine, a 240 PS/500Nm 2.0 litre bi-turbo unit which is the the most powerful four-cylinder diesel engine ever offered by Volkswagen. With 4Motion all-wheel drive and a standard seven-speed DSG dual clutch transmission, the it reaches a top speed of 240 km/h (estate 238 km/h) while using just 5.3 litres of diesel per 100 km.

A plug-in hybrid variant will also be on offer, combining a 156 PS 1.4 TSI engine and a 109 PS electric motor to produce 211 PS, a 0-100 km/h time of under eight seconds, a 210 km/h top speed, a 50 km all-electric range and a total range of over 1,000 km. Fuel consumption and emission figures will be similar to the Golf GTE‘s 1.5 litres of petrol per 100 km and 35 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

New features that were previously only featured on more premium cars include 360-degree Area View with a new obstacle detection feature, next-generation Park Assist that can now perform semi-automatic forward parking into perpendicular spaces, Trailer Assist, variable-ratio steering and an Easy Close system for the estate that, when activated, will close the tailgate when the user walks away with the key.

Automated driving systems are also starting to creep into the lower rungs of the market – a new Traffic Assist system uses the adaptive cruise control and Lane Assist function to steer, brake and accelerate the car automatically at speeds under 60 km/h.

The system only works with the driver’s hands on the steering wheel; without them, the Emergency Assist will warn the driver with an acoustic and visual warning, jolt the driver with a brief but hard stab on the brakes and, if the driver is still inactive, bring the car to a safe stop in its own lane.

Revisions have also been made to existing driver assist systems. The City Emergency Braking system now reacts to pedestrians instead of just vehicles, while the Side Assist blind-spot monitoring system will now also countersteer if the driver continues to steer into an occupied lane.

The B8 Volkswagen Passat will be available in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year, with advance sales starting on July 10. Prices will start from €25,875 (RM112,200) for the sedan and €25,950 (RM112,700) for the estate. Now’s the time to place your bets – when do you think the new Passat will arrive in Malaysia? We’ll start by predicting an end-2015 introduction.

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

Please be reminded that the DSG issue is not sorted out yet. On May 2013, VW admitted to the world that their DSG cannot handle hot weather and Asian traffic jams. Otherwise, it will be prone not just one, two or three but continuous breakdowns. And each time the DSG fails becaus eof the Asian heat, VGM will hold your car for about 2 months each time.

Many Malaysians have voiced out their grouses in facebook. Go to VW Malaysia facebook page and go and get a shock of your lives. People even in 2014 are complaining that their 2014 VW DSGs are failing all the time.

Remember, before you buy a VW and thinking you want to try their ever infamous DSG, you to their facebook page. Stop over service centers and speak to the people and clients there. They will tell you horror stories and mind you, they are genuine and not fake

My neighbour friend WV Passat of only 2.5 yrs old has already been inside volkswagen workshop ICU 3 times, 2 times for DSG ‘ transplant ‘, but the 3rd time, he don’t even want to talk about it, he says ‘ I just cursed this passat ‘

The features mentioned in the press release are what is POSSIBLE. If you want to spec a car like that you will spend a lot in Europe. A LOT. Probably double the base price. I reckon a significant number of cars sold will not get anywhere near to those specs.

Bolehland actually gets pretty well speced VWs, with many options. That does drive up the price (a Touran with the specs of the Touran in Malaysia is around RM 150-160k in Germany, last time I checked). DSG alone usually costs around RM 8k, otherwise it’s a manual (and you might have to spend yet more on a bigger engine, because the entry level one isn’t offered with DSG, and even more on higher specs cause Baseline isn’t offered with DSG, you get the idea). The sunroof is also a 10k-ish option (who thought THAT was a good idea for Malaysia?!).

Let’s hope it’s a hybrid, to get around the taxes, and that the options are picked well (lucky Europeans, who can order exactly the car they want, with exactly the options they want/can afford.

It looks good, and it should help keep the interior cool without having an unpleasant draft. I can’t stand it when the interior is actually already cold enough, but when I turn off the aircon it gets too warm, if I put it on 1 it’s too cold because it’s blowing at me. Then I usually turn on windscreen ventilation/demist for that, but that fogs up the windscreen after a while. If the air can be distributed more evenly in a gentle way, that’s pretty awesome.

The US Passat is bigger IIRC, and meant to be affordable. The European one is meant to be more premium. Sit in a Touran for China and one for Malaysia, you’ll see a big difference. The Chinese one has scratchy hard plastic, and just doesn’t feel as nice as the European model Malaysia gets.

If our version comes with Keyless entry, Start/Stop, Folding side mirrors, Cruise control & Bluetooth connectivity, I’ll be first inline to get this car. However the pricing cannot go over the 200K mark. Peace

They did and are still doing it – replace your faulty DSG with another repaired unit which will break down again maybe 6-9 months down the road. FYI, sometime in 2014, some 50+ angry VW owners gatecrashed inside VW HQ in bangsar and demanded to sèe the MD over this issue of faulty DSG and bad service

The specs mentioned are all optional, and very pricy. Expect the base price to be doubled when you want all the option… and that’s just the options, you’re not getting a more powerful engine. That will cost even more.

Malaysian VWs are usually at mid to high spec levels, with plenty (but not all) options ticked.

Looks sporty and much than the current Passat. Impressive interior and instruments but yet to see details of the engine specs. Should pose a tough completion in the D segment market. Hope VGMC could beat on pricing to stay in competition.

I think the price will be 170k, can’t be cheaper than Honda Accord right.
It does look like CC, won’t it cannibalize each other?
If 1st batch is CBU, can consider to buy. CKD not sure though.
Current Passat now is selling for ZERO downpayment, sign papers and drive away for RAYA!! Worry about loan after RAYA, Bergaya dulu.!

With the increase of wheelbase, its interesting to see how the rear passenger space compares with the D-segment leaders; Camry and Accord. The Passat is fast moving up to the prestige segment from the family segment, VW group might risk of cannibalizing its Audi A4. Perhaps, it’s already a trend started by Ford (Mondeo) and Peugeot (5008) as well.

Ford and Peugeot (508, not 5008) are trying to move to where VW is now in terms of perception and feel, so it makes sense that VW wants to move up again to stay ahead and to continue to be able to charge more than their competitors.

In any case, these options are just options, they will offer base spec cars too. They can also take all these features and plug them into the Golf, Polo, Leon, A4, A3, Touran, … without having to redevelop things.

Nice, I very like it much. I asking my usband to sell his accord to buy this jewel. I hope the performance good is as the merc and bmw. can I importing it now. I cant wait for next year coz maybe my usband want to migrate.

The hybrid is a disappointment. Integrated into the DSG? Then again what if the electric motor is always used to get the car moving, or for stop and go traffic? Then the DSG gearbox should last much, much longer, and it’d be more comfortable to drive too. I’d still prefer a eCVT like Toyota or now Honda are using though. Those will last an eternity.

And with the EEV stuff and tax reductions for locally assembled hybrids perhaps VW can only bring in the Passat hybrid and price it reasonably?

The assisted driving feature is a must for the Malaysian market. That can sell the car, since there are so many traffic jams in Malaysia. And it is good looking too, inside and out, very business like, serious, without being boring.

Take whatever they have in the current model, throw in KESSY, ACC, Dynamic Chassis Control, power folding mirrors and give the option for lighter coloured leather, and they would have a winner. The current Passat feels pretty premium compared to the Camry already.

Looks very stylish & upmarket, a vast improvement over the previous and it’s more than a match for the class leaders namely honda accord, mazda 6, & ford mondeo/fusion. It has
moved closely to the audi a4 territory.
Could this also mean the end of the VW CC?

whether its the dry or wet clutch DSG will depend on which engine being used. Basically if the torque is higher than 250nm, it will be the wet clutch. Most diesel(bcoz of the high torque)/higher powered TSI are using the wet clutch DSG

VW Group will need to improve further upon this new Passat for the upcoming Audi A4 replacement which is due soon. Or else, ppl might just be satisfied wt this instead of the higher price new A4….my guess, the new A4 will raise the Bar higher!

OMG….why still looks the same? Is this what VW designers can do? Come on la…..taking so high paid but just give this shit? You think all the potential buyers are moron or what? Still using your so called DSG? At least Volvo and Ford admitted the failure and use the conventional transmission….VW, not my cup of tea…:(

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